Continued
by Levy12
Summary: A continuation of the Host, it will be a slow progress since I am working on my book as well, but I started this out of a need to know what happens next, even if its just my own version of it. I love the Host. It's from Ian's point of view and begins with the bonus chapter Alone in the new paperback edition of the Host which is from Melanie's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Needy

I had been prepared for the feelings of confusion. I was sure that with so many different emotions and so many different people being involved in this (what had seemed at the time hopeless) situation, everything was bound to get muddy, twisted, and confused. I had been prepared for all of that, but nothing had prepared me to feel so absolutely clear minded about everything. When Melanie had explained everything to me, when she Jared, and Jamie had gone off to find a new body for Wanda, I had half expected to feel something towards Melanie, the girl whose body had been host my little Wanderer. But there was nothing for me there. Her body no longer had the same pull it once had, the bone deep need to protect what was so beautifully innocent and gentle. I had fallen in love with Wanda while she had worn Melanie's body, I could have expected something to still be there, even though I knew that once Wanda opened her new eyes ‑- whatever they may look like - I would love her in that body too. Melanie had bumped into me as she ran out of the south tunnels, and instinctively –as if Wanda were still there – I had reached out to steady her, grabbing onto her arms, the beginnings of a smile pulling up the corners of my lips. And then I felt it. The one thing I had not been able to feel towards that body since the moment I had realized that the soul who occupied it was different. I felt nothing, nothing towards the girl who stood in front of me. Melanie was back, my Wanda was gone. I could feel my heart breaking, a sharp, twisting pain piercing its way through my chest.

I couldn't think, I couldn't move, everything was wrong, everything had no meaning. And then I hear her, the voice of Wanderer, but different. Her voice was the same, but the way it was used was different, not as gentle, it was voice that could have only belonged to a human, and not to Wanda.

"She's fine. She's in a tank. We'll get her a body. She'll be fine. Fine. She's fine." Her voice carries off into a whisper. She's in a tank… my Wanda is in tank, still here, still on Earth with me. Something bothers me. The way Melanie desperately claims Wanda's good health. An idea forms itself in my head, just a thought, but a thought scarier than any I wanted to have. I push it away, it hurts too much, and instead focus on the woman in front of me.

Melanie is different from Wanda, I can tell this just by looking at her, different expressions, and her eyes, though they are the same, are infinitely different. As it is I lean towards her, feeling the need to comfort this girl who had once been Wanda. Another stab of pain, she had tried to leave me. Selfless as always, she couldn't put her own life ahead of another, even if it meant giving up love. If it was real. So much pain, so much uncertainty. Could she have left me if she really loved me, she said she had, but she was Wanda, she would do anything to make others happy, say anything. Melanie Stryder continues to look at me, her hands rising as if to hug me, perhaps feeling the same need to comfort that I can feel now, though it's different than it was before. It's a faint echo, a recall of the need to care for Wanda. Wanderer…. I recoil from Melanie, repeating the action three times before I finally get a hold on myself.

"Do you want to… go to her?" she asks, her voice barely reaching me. There's a roaring in my ears, she sounds so distant. Wanda! I raise my hand slightly then let if fall. "She's with Doc," she whispers, and takes a side ways step, leading me back to the hospital. I follow, forcing my stiff legs to move. I feel the need to sprint down the tunnel, get closer as fast as I can, to get my arms around her tank. But I don't, I follow Melanie instead. There are some questions that I need to ask her. Doubts that I have to clarify. So many doubts, and all the more painful as I realize that I can ask Melanie, she will know, she will tell me. I doubt that she could have known Wanda's thoughts for so long without it rubbing off, the need to say the truth…


	2. Chapter 2

**So I've decided that all the steamy parts will be their own chapters, and I will post at the beginning to warn about it so you can skip it if you want to. Please review, the reviews really do help and their kind of a motivation.**

**I've updated mostly for the sake of updating, if I don't keep the words flowing the story will die in me, and I will have left any readers with little to nothing, so this is for you guys, there will be more, and I will definitely have more free time, especially after graduation, high school's just another three weeks or so. Anyway, reviews would be amazing, message me the works.**

_"She thinks of you as her anchor"_ Melanie's words from what seemed so long ago echoed in my head. My happiness at Mel's assertion that Wanda did actually love me was stronger than anything I had felt before, it was completely new kind of happiness. The kind of happiness I had found only came when I was with my little Wanderer. It had taken her time to get accustomed to her new body. I often saw her staring at things with a little frustrated look on her face, as if something about the object or chore had offended her. It had taken me a couple of seconds the first time this happened to discern the reason, and when I had figured it out, I could barely suppress the laughter that threatened to burst out of me. She was used to Melanie's body. The athleticism and strength she had possessed with it was something that Wanda had liked, being the hard worker and care taker that she was. Her new body, fragile and soft as it was, could not handle the same amount of work that Melanie's body had and did. I could barely stand to watch Wanda try to work around the caves, each task obviously being too heavy for her. I knew that the only way Wanda would feel at peace was if she was contributing in some way. Beautiful selfless creature that she was, I was surprised that it had taken me so long to find a solution to her problem. She needed to raid, and soon.

It was a lot harder to admit this to her and to others than it was to admit it to myself. I knew that things were still the same. Wanda was still a soul, she could still talk and interact with the other souls as innocently as ever. Perhaps more so now in her delicate new body.

The decision to let her go on a raid had not been mine, it had been a group decision, with Wanda largely at the reigns, wanting nothing more than to be of use again. I chuckled at the memory of her triumphant face when practicality had won and it was decided that she would venture forth again.

… and then had been my second heart break. It of course had been for nothing. The other rebel cell that had discovered us would have no more hurt my Wanda than any of us would have. But for a second there, as I thought of the little pill each of us had, the pill that Wanda was sure to have reached into her pocket for even as I stood in front of her to protect her, I could feel my heart being destroyed. Shattered for what seemed like the last time. And then the rebel cell had revealed itself to us. We had gone on our raid, promising to return to the cars hideout within two months. Our people needed food, and a meeting would take some time to arrange. Jared had gone back to the caves to deliver the news to Jeb and the others, but they were to wait until we returned before the new rebels were allowed anywhere near the caves.

We were gone a month. One long month of constant shopping and hotel hopping, and each night Wanda would curl up right next to me. Having Wanda sleep next to me had changed the way I slept, she had told me once—in the long hours we were stuck in the van—that I slept sprawled out on the mattress for most of the night. I now woke up with one arm under Wanda's head and the other wrapped around her waist, her tiny frame pressed against my torso as she slept soundly. The first time I woke up like this I had gently stroked her hair away from her shoulder and leaned in to press a kiss against it. She had woken; her new body had a much easier time rising from sleep, and turned around.

"Good morning Ian," she whispered, though she had forgotten that we were alone in this room. I smiled at her, taking in her face. She was funny when she had woken up. She blinked her eyes rapidly and often yawned, her small lips forming a perfect O every time she did so. I leaned in and placed a small kiss on the tip of her nose, but she raised her head and pressed her lips to mine.

"Good morning sweetheart," I whispered back, playing along with her needless whispering. She giggled as I did so buried her face in the crook of my elbow, her nose tickling me there as she did so, after a few seconds she peaked out from under her hair, a small blush coloring her cheeks as she looked me dead in the eye. She liked her lips, and I had to suppress the urge to groan.

If I was being honest with myself this wasn't the first time one of Wanda's little gestures had me mentally banging my head against the wall. The girl was too damn attractive for her own good. Not just the body, but what she did with it. Despite some of the changes that had occurred, the crippling shyness, and the giddiness and giggles, Wanda was still the same, and a lot of the mannerisms she had displayed while in Melanie's body had not disappeared when she had switched bodies. I had not known Petals Open to the Moon, and perhaps it was easier because of this, but this new body my little Wanderer inhabited was the definition of Wanda. It was sweet, innocent, beautiful, but most of all _kind_. It was a weird way to describe a body, but there was no other way to describe it. Wanda was such a selfless and kind being, this body seemed to take all of her beautiful qualities and made them take on a physical form. I had watched the little torturer as she liked her lips and bit down on her bottom lip and decided that a new word was needed to describe her. Sexy. Only Wanda would find a way to make this body so undeniable sexy. I groaned again and leaned forward, pressing my lips to hers and thankful for the privacy of the separate room. Wanda giggled and wrapped her arm around my neck, pulling herself closer as she opened her mouth to our kiss, granting my tongue access to hers as we deepened the kiss. For a brief second I thought of what this could lead to and whether or not I was prepared. It had been so long, and condoms weren't exactly something I had thought to get some, it wasn't something Wanda would have gotten. It was hard to think though, with Wanda kissing me the way she was, with wholehearted abandon, as if she no longer had any reason to hold back, which was good, she _had_ no reason to hold back, I was hers and she mine. The knock that interrupted us made us both groan, and we laughed quietly at each other, both slightly embarrassed at our mutual unwillingness to let this end. She sighed and quickly jumped out of bed.

"Well," she said, standing up on her toes as she stretched her arms to the sealing. "Time for another day of dangerous shopping." I chuckled and got up after her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Canyons

_Wanda_

I could never quite get used to being outside of the caves; even on raids the feeling was strange. It was too open, too exposed compared to the comforting closure of the caves. I knew it should have bothered me, the uncomfortable feeling I should have felt at being out in the open world. I was a soul, I belonged out in the open. But I was also human, and like the human I had become, I felt more at home in the loneliness, the individuality I now enjoyed, compared to the group consciousness of the souls. With a sigh I pushed these thoughts away. Dwelling on how drastically I had changed in the last year or so would do little to change the events that had happened. I recalled one of Melanie's favorite sayings, "what's done is done".

"What's done is done," I whispered, fisting my hands together as I walked over to the edge of the little river. As I reached the bank I heard the soft crunch of sand and rocks behind me, and I smiled, feeling silly for not assuming that he would follow me. Ian was always with me, as if he needed constant confirmation that I was still here. It had hurt me to see that in him the first couple months after I had returned. He had reason to be afraid of my absence. I had after all, tried to leave, even if my reasons had been completely honorable. To him, I had tried to leave despite our love. Yes, it had hurt, but after a while I found myself doing the same thing, constantly looking at him, admiring, adoring, always wanting to make sure that Ian, my Ian, was still here. I had asked Melanie, my face blushing furiously as I stammered out my question.

_ She laughs, and I feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment. I mumble out a quick nothing and turn around, but find myself unable to leave as she grabs my wrist and pulls me to herself, hugging me so tightly I find it hard to breathe. I had forgotten how strong my body - no her body - was. Compared to my new one, it's too strong, her hug hurts me. She let's me go quickly and smiles down at me, and I feel a little put off. I am thousands of years old, yet here I am, by all means a child, looking up at a human who's lifespan was barely a fraction of what I had lived. I feel the frustration flash through me, and I reign it in, quickly. That much has remained the same, and this smaller, gentler body handles aggression and anger better than Melanie's, it was much more docile._

_ "Wanda it's part of being in love. I thought that after experiencing everything through my memories you would remember, but I guess it's a lot more different than I thought it would be. Your love for Ian is different. When you're in love, you always want to make sure the person you love is safe, healthy. You can't help it sweetheart. It's just the way it works. Ian's just being protective, and so are you my little sister." I feel it again, the quick hot flash of irritation, but just as quickly it's replaced by the love I feel towards Melanie. We are sisters, and having her call me such was lovely._

"Hi there," I say to him, turning my head to the side so I can see him come up to me and place his hands on both of my shoulders. They're large, too large almost, they cover my entire shoulders easily and his fingers are at my collarbones.

"How are you doing sweetheart?" He asks, and I can hear the worry behind his question. He too doesn't know how to feel about leaving the caves, even if it is just for a little while. But more so I know he worries about how I feel about it. I don't like it, the feeling of not being useful. It's strange, out of place; I should be helping, doing something. But when we had left it had been with the assurance that taking the small vacation was helping, in a small sort of way. Our last raid had been beyond successful, and we had brought back food to last for months. It was the least I could do, and Ian had supported the extended trip, given that he knew it would give me piece of mind. I leaned back rested my head against his chest, finding comfort in the strength and comfort they offered.

"It's nice," I say. "Souls never take vacations; not giving back is something that each of us feels is strange. But it's a lot harder to give back when you're traveling, and a lot of souls will travel, especially the more adventurous ones, the ones that want to experience everything. Everything a planet has to offer."

"I don't have to ask to know that you're one of these adventurous souls do I?" He chuckled, and smiled at him.

"I didn't get the name Wanderer for no reason." I said, turned around to look up at his face. He was grinning, his sapphire eyes glowing with mirth.

"Come on," he said, motioning towards the Jared's cabin with his head, taking one of his hands off my shoulder and leaving the other one around both, turning us both in the direction of the cabin as he started walking towards it.

"It was nice of Jared to give us the location of his cabin," I smiled at the memory. Jared giving us the location of this sanctuary had been his final proof of his belief in me. Melanie had never relinquished the exact location, and I had never bothered to go looking for it. When Jared found this out he had insisted I go to it, get away from the busy life in the caves, the constant chores and work and raiding. It would be good for me, he promised, and Ian would come too, of course. I would never leave without him.

"Jared is full of it, but he has his good moments, this would be one of them."

I frowned at his words. Was Jared full of it? I had to ask myself. I would have pondered more into it if I had not been distracted by the sight that greeted me when Ian opened the door. A path of red and pink rose petals led to the other room, the room I knew from Melanie's memories was the room with the bed. I blushed again, and quickly found myself wondering if I was ready for this. I knew from Melanie that this was a difficult choice for some women. For me it was a simple question. Did I love Ian enough to do this?

My answer was immediate. Yes. I could feel the heat in my cheeks slowly begin to ebb away as I took a step forward, and then continued to walk towards the room. Ian's arm had left my shoulders as I had walked forward and I looked back at him. He was watching me wearily, obviously worried about me. He worried too much, I decided. He needed to loosen up. I smiled at him, raising my hand and beckoned him forward as I walked into the room.

On the bed were more rose petals, and around them I found several candles, carefully lit and placed around the room. Just enough to give light to us, but far enough away that we would have to leave the bed to turn them off.

My heart was beating wildly, and I walked forward as quickly, stopping at the edge of the bed and looked down on it, bending over and caressing the mattress. I closed my eyes and imagined what it would feel like. I had memories, but faint ones, they had been Melanie's, and I was no longer connected to her. The trail of recall was extremely faint, but I remembered it better than most things. They stood out so sharply in her memory. Fire, there was fire everywhere.

Once again Ian came up behind me, placing his hands on my hips this time, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of warmth his touch brought me. I turned around and opened my eyes.

"I'm ready," I whispered. He leaned in and kissed me.

**I know it's been a while, and I apologize for making you all wait so long, I am a terrible person, on the upside my high school graduation went freaking awesomely, and I am now getting ready to start summer classes. I was struck by a bit of inspiration this weekend and I needed to get it written down before I lost it. So here you go! : ) Please if you have any ideas or suggestions as to where I could go with this please let me know, I need just a little bit of help getting back in the writing game. Please leave reviews! They make writing so much more rewarding for you guys. : )**

**Now for official business. I will post a new chapter at least once a week every Monday, that is my goal to get this thing started and going! I might occasionally post more avidly throughout the week, and let's hope that happens.**

**Looking for betas, anybody interested please let me know, any and all help is appreciated : ).**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry about the false alert with the reposting of Chapter 3, the format was messed up with the original posting and I felt it needed to be done. As promised here is another chapter. Warning! It is smut, and this is my first attempt at writing one so...**

When Melanie was with Jared it was like fire. Fierce, demanding, and blazing hot. My experience with Ian had shown me to expect a different reaction from my body. I wasn't sure what it would be, but I knew it would be different. Afterward I felt like a child. Granted I always felt like a child, especially in this body that resembled just that.

I should have known to expect so much more. Ian always made it so clear how much he loved me, and I did my best to show him exactly how much I loved him too, I felt almost guilty for not expecting the fire of passion to be there. And of course it had.

He had kissed me tenderly, slowly at first, but gained confidence as I kissed him back in earnest. I felt an unusual impulse, an impatience I had not known I could muster. With reckless abandon I pressed myself closer to him, enjoying the feel of his strong chest and arms as he wrapped them around me, pulling up off the ground. Instinctually I wrapped my legs around his waist. His hands came down and grabbed my bottom, and I felt an ache between my legs I had never felt before.  
I became hungry, hungry for Ian, his touch, his kiss. The sudden need flared to life with a strength that astounded me. I gasped as we kissed, and Ian used the opportunity to let his tongue enter my mouth. Soon we were kissing more heatedly than we ever had, our tongues battling for dominance. And there was fire. This fire was different than the one I remembered from Melanie. It was stronger. Stronger because it was not just a body's reaction to a love that had been forced upon me. It was stronger because the soul as well as the body wanted it. Two components, alien and human, were desperate for Ian's touch. And so it scorched me, and I let it. I encouraged it. Ian set me down on the bed and hovered over me, moved his lips from mine but continued to kiss along my jaw, leaving a trail of hot wet kiss down my throat and then reached my collar bones.  
The need I now felt for him was unlike anything I had experience before. It was too strong, I could not have controlled it even if I had wanted to. And never before had I felt so much happiness in relinquishing control. He pushed my breasts together, squeezing and massaging as he kissed my neck. The sensation felt as wonderfully great as it was new. I tangled his hair in my fingers and pressed down, forcing his lips to go to my breasts as he continued to kiss. He licked and sucked at the nipples through the fabric of the shirt and thin, lacy bra I had worn.  
I could feel the heat of the fire increase, it was all consuming, and with an extra surge of strength I pushed at him. My feeble arms did nothing to move him, but he felt my pathetic attempts and withdrew, giving me an apologetic look. My poor, beautiful Ian, he had misunderstood my intentions. I shoved at his side and watched as willingly let himself fall to the bed. What I did next surprised him more than anything I had done as I climbed on top of him, straddling him between my legs. I quickly removed my shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it aside. His eyes bulged when he saw me do this, and I felt just a little bit smug that I could elicit such a response from him. I leaned forward, biting my bottom lip as I did so and whispered, "take it off." He groaned and grabbed my face, pulling me down to kiss him again. As soon as he did this though he reached behind me, and with unhooked my bra quickly. Some part of me was a little intrigued by his skill at this, but it was quickly drowned out by the rest of me, entirely focused on the fire he was creating on my skin.  
He flipped us over once more, and then lowered himself, his face level with my breasts. His lips latched onto the nipple of one, sucking at it, licking it and teasing it with his teeth while his hand massaged the other. He then switched, paying the same attention to the other one.  
"Ian," I gasped, shivering from the chills his actions were sending throughout my body. The sensations were entirely new to me, a part of being human that Melanie's memories had been unable to give justice. The fire inside me was growing hotter.  
Ian released me for a second and took his shirt off. I watched hungrily as the muscles on his stomach flexed. I sat up, and started kissing his chest. I let my lips glide over the smooth pale skin of his chest, enjoying power and desperately attractiveness of it. A thought occurred to me, and I placed my lips over his nipple.  
His reaction was instant and more than I could have hoped for. He hissed, a sound I had often associated with anger or displeasure, but in this case was nothing short of erotic pleasure. I liked at the small bud, rolling it between my teeth while I teased the other one with my fingers.  
"Wanda," he groaned, and I knew that I was doing so much better than either one of us could have hoped for. He grabbed my head again and brought my lips to his. "I love," he whispered in between kisses.  
"And I love you," I whispered back. Within seconds the rest of our clothing had been discarded. I looked into his eyes as he prepared to enter me, relishing the love I could see within them. I imagined it reflected me own.  
"This going to hurt a little sweetheart," he mumbled against my lips.  
"I know," I mumbled back. "But I'm ready."  
I gasped as I felt him enter me. The pain was hard and fast, and for a second I almost screamed. Something allowed me to keep my head however, and only the smallest of whimpers managed to escape my lips. He stopped immediately.  
"Wanda?" he asked, his voice heavy with worry.  
"I'm fine," I spoke though the pain. He was so big, and a part of me felt a primal pride in it. He was mine.  
"Honey... I'm not even all the way in."  
This had me backtracking. Already it felt like he had filled me. Could I accommodate him entirely? Suddenly I was cursing the puny size of the body.  
"Keep going," I said, suddenly determined. "I want all of you."  
Once again he groaned, and began to push forward. I bit my lip and looked straight into his eyes. He closed them however, and his head bent downward. He moved in and out slowly, and soon the pain began to recede, pleasure began to build, just on the fringes, but growing stronger.  
As he continued to move he began to move faster, and I could feel him deeper within me each time he thrust forward. I scratched at his back, my nails digging into the hard muscle.  
I began to moan my pleasure. He was really moving fast now, and he leaned forward to kiss me as he did so. It was almost too much, the pleasure, the fire. It was so hot now! I felt like I was burning, but the pain was a good pain, the kind I would have easily welcomed if it meant this.  
He hit a spot inside me that made me scream. "What's wrong?" He asked, suddenly stopping.  
"No... nothing... keep going," I whispered. He moved again hesitantly, and this had me clawing at him. "Faster, please." I begged.  
He hit the same spot again, and I cried out again, but this time he kept going. His accuracy was deadly, and he continued to hit the same spot over and over again. I was crying out by now, random incoherent words mixed in with his name. I could feel it building up, it was stronger with every thrust, just like the fire. With a final push I screamed and came undone, my walls clamping down around him, desperate for his release too. He grunted, his eyes closed and the muscles of his gorgeous body flexing.  
He collapsed beside me and opened his eyes. He stared at me wordlessly for a minute, his eyes conveying his feelings.  
"I love you too," I gasped, still out of breath. He nuzzled his face against mine until he found my lips.  
"Wanderer..."

**Alright guys, how was that for a first attempt at a sex scene? Please review, reviews are like making love with you soul mate, no pun intended.**

**P.S. Yes I am a horrible person, I said I would upload Monday and I didn't. But no worries, another update will occur as scheduled this next Monday.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Boom, here it is. I have been working on this all night haha, lets see how it goes.**

Chapter 5

Lust

Ian

A strong pulsing, not quite like a headache, but not entirely pleasant woke me. I groaned, the light that filtered through the small window of the cabin was not enough to light the entire room, and in the relative darkness I found myself disoriented. I blinked, trying desperately to find clear my vision.  
I turned slightly in bed, and felt her warmth.  
Suddenly it all came rushing back to me. Everything, fast and hard. I groaned again, feeling myself harden at the mere memory. She had been so loving, so accepting and willing... so unexpectedly good. Her instincts, or at least that's what I thought they were, had been spot on. Yes, I was definitely hardening again. I turned fully and faced her. Her back was to me, sleeping on her side, and she snored ever so lightly, her breathing so quiet it could have been impossible to hear her over any other slightly louder noise. I pulled her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her, and leaned in to kiss her cheek. I let my hand travel the smooth skin of her body, so small and tight.  
I began kissing her neck, my lips caressing her softly, her skin so smooth and soft. She was delicious. My hand went lower, caressing her inner thigh, rubbing smooth circles into the skin. She stirred slightly, but continued to sleep. I felt like I would die from her pure cuteness, it was almost too much to handle. I rubbed at her folds, relishing the dampness I could feel. It was amazing to me, that even in her sleep she could respond to me. My finger slipped inside of her, and she gasped slightly, her eyes fluttering open.  
"Ian?" She asked, her voice horse from sleep.  
"It's me," I whispered back, kissing her shoulder as I continued too move my finger along her sex.  
"This is... different."  
"Good or bad?"  
"...good."  
I felt like I would come undone right there. I slipped a second finger inside of her, and she moaned. She started grinding herself to my hand, her body moving as she purred under my touch. I slid my fingers out and moved my hand to her thigh, prying her legs open. She moved them willingly, and reached over her shoulder to caress my cheek as I kissed her, moving myself up position at her entrance. Slowly, I slid into her, relishing the warmth and tightness that envelopes me. She was so tight! Her body had been that of a virgin, and male human that I was, I couldn't help but feel a savage pleasure at this knowledge. Wanda was mine, irrefutably. We moved together, I thrusting into her and she pushing down to my meet my thrusts. I decided that this was my favorite position for the morning. On our sides, her back to me as I pushed into her from behind. It was almost too good to be true.  
I stared rubbing her clit, massaging the small bundle of nerves as I continued to thrust into her. Yes, slow sleepy sex was incredible. She was moaning actively now, and she pulled my lips to hers, kissing me slowly, tenderly. Her walls clamped down around me, impossibly tighter than before. Her walls milked me, desperate for me to cum too, but I held on, and continued to thrust into her. I wanted to give her deep pleasure of two consecutive orgasms. She started moaning harder, and I could tell she was building up to her second orgasm. She spread her legs wider, and it gave me the ability to push deeper into her. I moved, trying to find the same spot within her that had made her melt.  
I knew immediately when I found it. She screamed, a long high pitch of pure pleasure. I pushed harder and deeper into her and her screaming increased, mixing in with her gasping and moaning. For the second time that morning I felt her orgasm around me. This time I came too, pressing my lips into her shoulder as I thrust into her one final time, spilling my seed deep insider her.  
"I love you Wanda... so much." I gasped, feeling the aftershocks of my orgasm.  
"I love you too my Ian, with all my hear and soul."  
We fell asleep again.

**After this there will be less focus on sex and more on the storyline, I am also writing another story but I'm holding off on uploading that one until I have a good couple chapters, just in case I forget to write sometimes. As a result I will try to have several chapters of this one written ahead of time. 50% chance of an upload next Monday. Please Review, reviews are almost as good as slow sleepy sex in the morning ; ).**


	6. Chapter 6

**Early update! I finished this chapter easily because it just flowed out of me, and my midterm went swimmingly.**

Chapter 6:

Storytelling

Burns

As was customary whenever we discovered a new rebel cell I had decided to stay with them for a few months. Normally it was done as a method to get the new humans used to my presence, or more accurately the presence of a soul. I had had a sneaking suspicion however that because Wanda had lived here for so long, that my stay wouldn't have to be as long as usual. They were used to the presence of a soul, now they just had to get used to me.  
My acceptance into Jim's caves came in the form of a fifteen year old. He was tall for his age, with long black hair that framed his face and skin that seemed to have been permanently tanned from living in the glare of the sun.  
"Where have you lived Burns?" His question caught me off guard, and I froze while transporting a lump of bread from the plate to my mouth, soaked with the soup that had been given.  
"Jamie!" A human girl chastised him. I recognized her as one of the humans that had been at the car hideout the night of their discovery. She looked like an older female version of her brother. She was beautiful, her beauty was that of someone powerful, and also of someone who had suffered. Her hair was just little past her shoulders now and was a pitch black, her skin the same tan as her brother's, but her eyes were different. They were a beautiful hazel, and they glowed, a strange surreal glow. It reminded me of the shine of a soul's eyes. How strange.  
"What up Mel?" Jamie asked, his excited face saddening a little as he turned to look at his angry sister.  
"It's rude to ask that kind of question to a soul, don't let me catch you being rude again."  
She was motherly, surprisingly so. The relationship between the two siblings was different. It was somehow more than that. Parent and child, rather than brother and sister. Also strange, though I decided not to question it. I drew my own conclusions, guessing that the overprotective Mel had taken care of Jamie since the beginning of the invasion. Yes, such a responsibility would elicit such a change in relationship. I smiled for their love. That was one of the reasons I had sided with the humans. As bad as all the negatives were, it was nothing compared to how they could love. All types of love. I had wondered often, could they love more than souls?  
Souls loved everything. Everything and everyone. They felt the pain of taking the lives of others, but their love for peace and balance was greater than the pain and guilt they felt. It was necessary. I sighed, causing the two arguing siblings to look at me. If only the souls knew of the compassion some of these humans were capable of, maybe then they could be spared.  
Maybe someday.  
But for now I had another human to examine. The little boy and the girl. They were interesting, and for more than just because of the dynamic of their relationship.  
"What do you want to know?" I asked Jamie, and his face instantly brightened. Curiosity, I realized. The soul Wanderer must have shared some her stories, it would explain his original question. I quickly wondered how many planets she had lived on, and decided that I would ask her later. When she returned from wherever she was. They had not told me, and I had not asked, I didn't want to pry in the presence of those who's trust I had yet to earn. It would come in time.  
"Why's your name Burns? Are you from the fire planet?"  
My eyebrows shot up at his knowledge. The child knew a lot for a human. Yes, Wanderer had told them about other planets, but her reaction that first night had told me she had not visited the Fire planet.  
"Yes I am, I was one of the first Fire Tasters. It was a great planet, and the name Burns Living Flowers is a bit common for some of the first ones to colonize it. It's sometimes hard to come up with entirely unique names when the world's occupation has just begun. I liked it there, but the nature of the Fire Tasters, or at least their means for sustenance, was not one I was entirely comfortable with. So I left, and came here. It took about several years to make the trip, but I got here just a little bit after the initial colonization waves had settled. The 'wars' were over, and I had nothing to fear."  
"Wooow," his eyes were wide with onslaught of new information, and I could tell by the look on his face that he was bursting with more questions. What a strange but fun child, I decided.  
I looked around and realized that he had not been the only one to listen in the conversation. The dining hall was only half full, but most of the people had turned in their seats to look at me. The quiet expectation I saw reflected in many of them told me that it was something they were used to, and once again I found myself wondering at the nature of Wanderer and the humans who lived here. The humans I lived for were loving and accepting, more so than I could have hoped for, but they were too preoccupied with survival to learn more about the universe. They very rarely asked me question about my own travels, not that I had many to tell of. Three planets was all I had accounted for, with this one being the third.  
If it got them used to me faster, I decided there was no reason to not answer the child's questions with full detail. After all, the spreading of knowledge was always a respected Calling.  
I answered his questions, all of them in as much detail as I could, which was a lot considering I had such fewer lives to count upon. I had less to remember, and therefore less to think about as asked question after question. I continued to observe Melanie from the corner of my eye however.  
One time she saw me looking at her and her eyebrows knitted together. She was confused and a little weirded out by my glances, but I couldn't help it. Her eyes intrigued me. They glowed strangely, artificially. It bothered me, and I wanted to know why.  
I could ask eventually, but not yet.  
I had finished my food long before Jamie was done with his questions, but eventually I yawned and he stopped. "I'm sorry," he apologized, his eyebrows knitting together with concern. It was a facial expression identical to his sister's. They were almost comically alike. "I've kept you from bed."  
"No no, it's okay," I promised, smiling at him reassuringly.  
"Yes but either way it's time for Jamie to get to bed," Melanie inserted, giving Jamie a stern look as if to say: You better not argue with me.  
Jamie obviously understood her mood. He excused himself, bidding everyone good night before heading out of the lunch room. Melanie smiled at me before disappearing. All around me the sound of people getting up interrupted the virtual silence. Time for bed.  
Jeb showed up, whistling lightly and motioned for me to follow him.  
"I bet you're wondering where you're gonna crash in my place."  
"Yes," I confirmed, and ducked slightly as we walked down one of the tunnels. Most of the people here had no trouble walking around, even some of the tallest men walked around normally, but I was afraid. I was tall, very much so, and my lack of knowledge of the tunnels was one that I would have to live with until I knew every nook and corner. In the meantime I didn't want to bash my head against the ceiling, the sight of blood was still something I could not get used to.  
"Sorry to tell you this but we don't have enough rooms for another new comer, you'll have to bunk in Doc's hospital."  
"There isn't... blood is there?"  
Jeb turned around, his eyebrows raised so high they almost disappeared into his hair, and his light blue eyes burned with curiosity. "Don't like blood do you?"  
I shook my head, and looked down at my feet. Soul or not it was something that was embarrassing to admit.  
"Always been like that or just since Earth?" Jeb asked.  
"I'd rather not talk about it." I murmured, still avoiding his gaze.  
"Right, sorry, that was rude of me." Jeb turned around and continued to lead me down a long tunnel that headed towards the south of the cave.  
A sharp, metallic smell hit my nose when I entered the cave. But it was faint, the slight remainder of a smell that had been washed away long ago. It was more of a feeling than anything else. This place was causing me to see and smell things. I stomach lurched, and I felt a little sick for a second. It must have been the smell.  
"You'll be good here, Wanda's found us some pretty good mattresses to store up in here, not like the cots. Those things were hardly softer than the floor. Might as well be sleeping on rocks."  
"Thank," I walked over to the pile of mattresses and picked one up easily, putting it on the floor near one of the walls and settled down. I quickly realized I wouldn't need a blanket, the caves were still warm from their exposure to the sun during the day.  
"Sleep tight, make sure ye get some shut eye." Jeb grunted, walking back out the tunnel. "You got chores to do tomorrow just like everybody else."  
I frowned. Chores? How strange, but if that's what was required of me, I would do them. I must be like the society of the souls. Each individual doing their part to serve the whole. I wondered if it would be like raiding. Helping, just differently.  
My stomach was calm now, and I took a deep breath. The smell was gone.  
As I fell asleep I saw Melanie's eyes, still glowing eerily. They bothered me now, I no longer thought they were beautiful.  
They scared me.

**AN: Burns being a new character entirely is kind of a blessing, lets me play around with him freely without worrying about becoming OOC. I know I said Mondays, but this one was fun to write and since I've been a bad updater, I decided you all who have followed deserve an early update. If I finish another chapter soon I will update ahead of schedule again, if not, expect one on Monday.  
Please review, they are a great motivation to keep writing. More reviews means more readers, more readers means more reviews means more updates.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mystery

Burns

I was awake before everyone else. I always slept little, a result of my host's habits before my insertion, and it was something I had found useful. I had left it alone, allowed the habit to remain. After all, early risers always got a jumpstart on the day. I put the mattress back in its place, patting it down to make sure that all of the slightly purple like dust of the caves had been taken off, and headed back down the tunnel. The walk seemed to take longer than yesterday, without the company of Jeb it seemed darker. There was something about the hospital that disturbed me, but it was faint. More of a feeling. Something had happened there, and I wasn't sure I wanted to know what it was.

I walked into the main cavern, a large cave that served the purpose of a plaza and farming field to the cave dwellers. I walked towards the middle and stopped when I reached the edge of the small wheat field. It was incredible, something any soul would have marveled at. The sight of life emerging in a place where none should have existed was more than most were lucky to see in their lives. I looked up, desperate to discover the secret of the field. A large hole was centered just over the cave, but it was strange, what should have been the walls of the hole that stretched upward were a dark blue. Almost as if it were showing the sky just as the sun was about to rise. Not bright enough to be the pure light blue, but not as dark as night anymore.

"The trick is mirrors," a voice came from behind me. I jumped and turned around, startled by the sound of someone else's voice. I had not expected there to be anyone else awake at this hour.

"The mirrors catch the sunlight and reflect down onto the field, it's a miracle, and Jeb must be a genius for having come up with it." He paused, his gaze hard and penetrating, before continuing. "There's one more field besides this one, we'll be working the east field today."

I nodded, but decided not to say anything. This man, too was one of the humans in the original group. He had a hard square jaw, hair flecked with blond and eyes that seemed to match the pattern of his hair. His skin was tan as well, thought not as tan as Melanie's, and his body radiated strength. This was man who could be dangerous, more dangerous than any soul.

I found myself tensing. I did not like this man's gaze, and I could tell he didn't trust me completely yet.

"Come," he jerked his head in the direction of the kitchen and started walking. "As long as you're up we might as well get started on some chores, I would like to get some relaxing time before bed."

He stressed the word relaxing, and I raised my eyebrows. It was not a lie, it was an insinuation to something . He had something else planned. I instantly decided it would be best not to know, I could embarrass myself. He led me to the kitchen, which served as a double for a lunch room, and walked over to the oven.

"We should prepare the bread for them, that way when they get here all they have to do is put it in the oven."

I nodded and proceeded to do as he told me. It was hard, the dough was dark and hard, laced with seeds. It took several minutes for me to get the hang of it, and already I felt like my arms were growing tired. I looked over at the man and saw him kneading the dough effortlessly, or at the very least with much more practice and skill. The muscles on his arms rippled and flexed as he did so, and I imagined them being capable of killing someone. I shuddered internally.

"What?" he stopped and looked at me, his eyebrows pulling together until they formed a single line across his forehead. It was almost comical.

"I don't know your name." I said, not stoping my own task. I was determined to make this as effortless for me as it appeared to be for him.

He looked at me for a second, his gaze once again hard and penetrating. I found myself wondering what exactly it was that caused him to look at me this way.

"Jared," he said finally.

"Nice to meet your Jared, I'm Burns," I smiled at him, and thought about offering my hand to shake his, but it was knuckle deep in the dough, and getting it all off to properly shake his hand would be a difficult task.

He didn't seem to notice, instead he turned his attention back to his own lump of dough. He started tearing it apart, making small rolls that he began to put on a plate he produced when I must not have been paying attention. He put them all in lines, each small lump the same size as the other, four rows of five. I watched as he finished one tray, set it aside, and grabbed two more, offering one to me. I nodded and began to copy his process. Four rows of five.

I was about to reach for another tray when he stopped me. "Three trays is fine, that's twenty rolls a tray and that's more than we have living here, everyone will have to eat an extra roll. Though I doubt they'll mind."

"This bread... it's very strange,"

"Just a little, it's cave bread." He looked at my puzzled expression and actually smiled. There were wrinkles around his eyes that scrunched together when he did so, as if it was something he did commonly. I had not seen him smile once in my presence.

Suddenly I realized why he had been up so early, and why kept looking at me in a strange way. He may have accepted Wanda and the other soul I had seen briefly, the one called Sunny, but I was still not entirely trusted.

I felt sad to know that he didn't trust me, despite the overwhelming clarity that he had good reason to remain cautious. In times like these it was always best not to trust someone right away. You never knew, and these poor humans had so much to lose. I decided that I would not strive to earn his trust. I would just be myself until he finally decided what to think of me.

"Well good-morning to the two of you. Not used to being beaten to waking up in my own place."

"Good morning Jeb, Burns here was wandering and I thought it would be a good idea to get him used to the way things work around here."

"Ain't that awfully kind of you. Wouldn't have killed you to be that kind a year ago."

"Now Jeb..." Jared was scowling now, but it was more out of regret and embarrassment than out of actual anger.

"Now, now kid. Don't get all indignant on me, we both know it's the truth."

He bit his lip, but didn't argue. Kindness was apparently a learned trait for Jared. Though I wondered if it was to souls, or everyone overall.

"Now come on, my carrots are dying in the east field and I need them watered. Since you're both up so early you can help me do it before lunch time."

Jeb looked at me and smiled a little bit. "Tell you what, you finish before lunch time and you get the rest of the day off, no breakfast though."

Jared frowned, but nodded. I did too. It would be nice to get to know the caves a little better. They were incredible, as wonderful as one of the other places we had found. A small town in the forest hills of California. I wondered if Wanda and Sunny would be interested in meeting some of the other human cells. Wanda was likely to, but Sunny seemed timid.

XXX

The work was back breaking. It wasn't the kind of work I was used to. Most of the other rebel cells got along purely on raiding. Compared to the people in the caves, they were spoiled. The food that I and the raiding parties always provided lasted months. They rationed carefully, managed to get along without having to farm anything.

Jeb's eyes had lit up with curiosity, the man was insatiable.

"It would be quite the adventure to get to see some of the other rebel cells with my own eyes someday."

"It would be." I confirmed, instantly thinking of how strange they all were. Strange in a charming way.

"Where are they?"

"Well-"

"Jebediah!"

Two women were standing at the entrance to one of the tunnels. One was ancient but strong. It was such an oxymoron that I blinked several times in surprise. The wrinkles on her face were numerous, and her mouth was set in a scowl so deep it seemed like it would stay there forever. And yet the woman, like so many other humans that lived here, radiated strength. She had life in her, despite her old age.

Beside her was a woman that was obviously her daughter. Same scowl, same strength. Only in the young woman it was more powerful. Her hair was bright but dark red, darker than mine.

Without knowing me, the two women hated me. I was sure of it. These two would be hard to win over, if at all possible.

"What do you want Magnolia?"

"We want to leave, we want to go to one of the other rebel cells."

Jeb sighed. Obviously this was a conversation that he had been expecting.

"I have a guest Maggie. It would be rude of me to ignore him because you have decided that you want to leave."

"The caves are full of worms these days Jeb, one leaves and another one comes. We want out, at least in another place, there will be less of these parasites running around."

When the younger one spoke, she kept her eyes fixed firmly on Jeb. I knew that I should have expected hostile resistance from some of the humans here, but I didn't they some of them would go so far as to abandon their home. It was hurtful, but expected. I brushed it off. Living with humans was a complicated existence, if I let myself get hurt by every hurtful thing they did, I would never know a moment of peace.

Yes, it hurt, but it would be easy to brush it off. I wondered if Wanda would be able to do this.

"We'll talk about this later. I've always said that anyone who doesn't want to be here doesn't have to stay, but realize that you would have to find another cell to go to. And for that we need one of the outsiders to get here and lead you to one." His face lit up with a mischievous smile. "You'll have to wait until they come pick up Burns, maybe even make the journey with him."

The two women's identical expressions of outrage expressed more hate than I had seen in a long time. The young ones eyes temporarily switched to me, and I felt my stomach lurch painfully. Her eyes softened for just a fraction of a second.

Those eyes... Sharon.

Melanie

It felt empty inside my head. Too much room, too much freedom. It seemed almost cruelly ironic that I had so desperately wanted the privacy I now had a year and a half ago, only to resent it now that I had it.

Wanda. My sister was gone, and now not just from my mind, but from my side too.

I knew she loved Ian, but damn him for taking my sister away. He'd better bring her back safely, or I would flay him within an inch of his life. Wanda would not approve of the violence, but of course she wouldn't stay mad at me. Wanda loved me, and Ian would heal. We had tons of Heal now.

"Mel... Mel!"

"What?"

Jamie's knowing look had me frowning. This kid knew me too well, it was endearing and annoying. Only Wanda knew my mind better than he did, she could see every thought the moment it struck me as if she were reading the words on my forehead. I let Wanda get away with it, but Jamie was a different case. The child was an expert of extortion and blackmail.

"You've been missing Wanda haven't you?"

"Yes."

"Should I tell Jared?"

"No!" I felt the blood rise to my face at thought of Jared's reaction to this. He would surely want to go and join them. He missed his cabin, and though the idea to let them use his cabin had been his, I didn't doubt that he would use this as an excuse to go out there. He was restless. Wanda's absence kept us in the caves, there was no use raiding without her. With her as our star raider no one's lives were in danger as long as we obeyed all laws, traffic laws included.

Jared. I blushed harder, and Jamie groaned.

"I don't even want to know what you're thinking about now!"

"Then get out of here! You better get to school!"

"Sharon was late, so we followed the fifteen minute rule."

"The fifteen minute rule doesn't work here, Sharon's going to give you chores for having ditched her class, you especially."

"I wish they'd just get over Wanda and Sunny being here, Burns too."

"You don't understand Jay... They've been hurt too much, it's hard to forgive."

"But Wanda didn't do anything to them personally." Jamie grumbled, his face falling as he lowered himself onto the seat next to me.

"I know, I know... but it's different. To them Wanda's just another soul, they don't know her like we do."

"They don't love her like we do. Even Jared loves Wanda now."

Ahhh, the pain. I instantly felt bad for the sharp pain the laced through me. It wasn't fair to Wanda. Besides, she had Ian now. I could see it when she looked at him. He was her only one.

"Don't worry Mel, you know what I mean." He placed his hand on top of mine, his small smile sad and apologetic.  
"I know," I said, caressing his hand with my free one. But did I? It was impossible to miss the looks they gave each other. Searching, confused. My Jared... maybe he wasn't entirely mine anymore.

And me. What was wrong with me? I had only ever wanted Jared, but now I couldn't make heads or tails of my feelings anymore. Wanda had loved Ian so much when she had been in this body, it was infectious. I had been infected. The dreams...

"Mel?" Jamie's voice was worried now, and I forced myself to snap out of my trance. It made no use to try and figure out everything with him in front of me. It would only confuse the little boy too.

"Don't worry about it Jamie." I insisted. "Now please get to school."

He frowned, but otherwise did what I told him to.

The dreams... why did they have to happen now. It wasn't that I didn't find Ian attractive, if anything he was as beautiful as Jared, it was that I knew I had no right to like him. Did I love him? No, of that I was sure of. Wanda was the one that loved him. But her love was strong, and had been born in my body, a feeling that had lingered when she left.

It wasn't fair to any of us. I had to do something to figure it out... soon.

I needed Jared tonight.

**Please don't hate me for the late update, I was trying to have this chapter more content heavy. The storyline is starting to pick up, and there will be some nice surprises up ahead.**

**Please review, you guys are awesome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Once again sorry for the late update, unfortunately this was all I could type up since I've been incredibly busy. Please enjoy.**

Chapter 8

Strangers

Melanie

Jared made and I made love quietly that night. I gasped as he entered me, and pressed my lips to the hot skin of his shoulders. The past few months had been lovely, a time that we had spent getting to know each other again... and of course a time we had spent having our bodies learn each other. The time Wanda had spent inside my body had brought me a sister, an alien I would have saved above millions of my own kind. I wasn't sure if I should have been bothered by the thought, and after a while I decided I didn't care. Just like for Jared and Jamie, I would sacrifice everything for Wanda. But the time Jared and I had starved my body of its need for him. I could feel it, always. A strong aching hunger. Wanda hadn't been able to understand it. She had felt it as a fire. It was more of a hunger, a hunger that never seemed to stop. I always wanted Jared.

As he moved inside me, grunting with pleasure as he did so, I felt it take over me again. The pure ownership. I was Jared's. Suddenly the love that had sprouted in my body for Ian was pushed aside. Chained and locked up in a deep corner in my mind, a place I hoped it would stay. This was where I belonged. I bit my lower lip as he hit a spot within me that sent shivers down my spine. Only Jared would ever know of that spot. Only Jared had the right. Ian be damned, I wanted this.

I wanted to be loud. To let Jared take me forcefully, as long as he wanted. I wanted to feel wave after wave of pleasure as he brought me to my release. But the caves were no place for such reckless, heartbreakingly amazing sex. For a minute I found myself wondering if we could possibly find a way to make it happen. That other cave system, maybe we could pay a visit to it...

All thoughts vanished as he moved inside me again. I came with a small whimper, and I could feel my walls clamp down around Jared's hardness. I wanted his release.

Jared pulled out a the last minute, and came with a hard grunt, spilling his seed over my stomach. I felt just the smallest twinge of sadness. What I wouldn't give for us to be able to have a child. A beautiful baby with Jared's eyes and laughs. A boy. I wanted a boy.

It was impossible, and the thought hurt me. At least for now, it was. Maybe, just maybe, one day it could happen. When the world no longer hunted us like the dangerous savages it believed us to be.

XXX

When I woke I could see the stars through the cracks of our room. They were beautiful, and I faintly remembered Wanda's whispered goodbye to them. Though they had been different stars, seen through the cracks in Ian's rooms, the goodbye had been for all of them. I felt no call from these stars. They were strangers to me, I did not know them, and they could never have the power they had over Wanda. Lives in the Stars, what an incredible name.

I gently moved away from Jared, disentangling my legs from his as gently as possible. I stared at his face as he slept. His chest rose and fell gently, his mouth open as he breathed in and out with such noiselessness it was hard to believe he was asleep. Jared was still beautiful. Gone was the scowl that had constantly decorated his features when Wanda and I had discovered the caves. It had no place on such a beautiful face that was more given to smiles and laughter. I let my eyes travel the length of his body, and relished in the knowledge that he was mine. His chest was sculpted, hairless except for the almost invisible swirl of hair around the nipples. The muscles of his stomach hard and incredible, a perfect eight pack sculpted out of the abdomen, and a trail of hair that followed down to his groin.

It was the type of body all men wanted. Sexy, powerful, strong. Like before I felt a strong wave of pleasure sweep over me.

Mine, all mine.

Burns

It was impossible. The last time I - no not me, Jack - the last time Jack had seen Sharon had been three years ago. They had met in the woods, a building no one dared entered visible just beyond the trees they now used as their cover. Sharon had been entirely the same as she was now. Pretty, her hair vibrant, like fire tinged with pink. It was a color Jack loved. A love that I had inherited. I had spent years dreaming of that color. But unlike Jack, I did not love the girl. Sharon was my host's love, not mine. I had been able to separate himself from my body's memories and needs. I was Burns Living Flowers, not Jack Tovar.

Even so, the shock of seeing Sharon here, of all places, was too much for me to process. Of all the surviving humans I could have met, Sharon was just about the worst. Her mother had not known of the secret, brief romance that flared between the two humans weeks before Jack's capture. But there was one thing I was positive of, and that was that the capture had frozen over Sharon in a way few things could. I knew well how the capture of their loved ones by souls could change humans. They became the monsters we always thought them to be. Cold, vicious, and monstrous.  
... But it was an evil born out of love. A love so strong that I had found myself incapable of blaming the humans. At first I had blamed my host for making me sympathetic. His memories were filled with sadness. The longing, the rage. Anger was so ugly, I didn't like it, and more often than not I found myself wishing for the body of my previous host. The Fire Tasters had less colorful emotions then humans. Anger was less present there, less commanding.

Of course, I was no Skipper.

"Hey whatcha thinking about?" Jamie's voice brought me out of my memories, and I felt a small, embarrassed smile work its way onto my face. The kid was truly something else.

"Nothing in particular. Earth is always just so different the Fire Planet."

"Do you miss it there?" Jamie's question was sincere, and once again I found myself marveling at the child's ability to understand. No, not understand, to accept. The next generation of any species was always more welcome to change when they were young. This one was no exception.

"A little bit, I lived a couple terms on that planet. It was my home for a while."

"It's kind of funny don't you think?"

I raised my eyebrows questioningly at him, and he laughed, a high tilting sound that was carefree. How beautiful.

"Your name is burns, and your hair looks like fire."

I laughed with him, and felt my cheeks burn with slight embarrassment. Many of the humans in the other colonies had made the same observation. Jack's body was good match for me. I wondered why his consciousness had faded so quickly. I had been told of the stories of resistance. That knowledge was the key. I had felt none. This body was mine now, Jack was no more.

I was murderer.

I felt the sharp pain lace its way through my heart. It had a name that rang loud and clear as if someone had shouted it in my ear. Sharon!

As quickly as I felt the pain I pushed it aside. There was no use dwelling in the past. What was done was done.

My small lapse into guilt had not gone unnoticed by Jamie, but didn't know me as well as some of the humans I loved did. He couldn't place a reason for my hesitation. I was foreign to him still, something, I realized, was a good thing for now.

"Well, the both of you look pretty comfty here don't cha?" Jeb's voice rang out behind us and we both jumped. The older man was leaning casually against the wall of the kitchen. He pressed his finger to his forehead and dipped his head in our direction, almost as if he were tipping an imaginary hat. His faded denim blue eyes twinkled with mirth. "As much as I love seeing two lazy bums chatting it up while everyone else in my place works, I think it's time I showed you your chores Burns, and you kid, y'all better get on your way to school. Sharon will have your hide if you're late again."

I laughed at his use of irony. Only a human could be humorous in such a way. Jamie gave me a small smile before heading off. Jeb motioned for me to follow him, jerking his head in the opposite direction Jeremy had headed in.

"Come on kid, you've got one heck of a day ahead of you."

I grimaced slightly, knowing after so little time here that Jeb rarely joked when it came to physical labor, and followed him.

As I left the kitchen, I looked back one last time, and saw Sunny talking with the human, Candy. She shook her head at something Sunny had said, and turned to look at me. Her eyes glowed like Melanie's. The faint ghost of a shimmer that was no longer there.

I shuddered. I had feeling I now knew the reason for the glow. I couldn't blame them, but I had to know. Which soul had done it.

Sunny or Wanda?

**As always I ask for your reviews, they're like gold to me. I've outlined the rest of the story so now I know where it will go for sure. I've also decided to focus more on quality than quantity, so some chapter will be shorter than others, but as always I will try to make them the best I can.**

**Tune in next week for Continued, chapter 9!**

**I really need new title don't I? Maybe I'll change it soon...**


	9. Message from the author

**AN: There will be no update this week, I was busy with studying for finals for my summer classes and did not have time to write anything. Expect an update next week. Please review, the key to getting the next chapter is 5 reviews : ). **


End file.
